Photographer John Sevigny to give public lecture on plight of immigrants

"Lecture: "Nomads and Passengers: Central American Immigration Across Mexico" by photographer John Sevigny
Date and time: Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m.
Location: Goshen College Administration Building, Room 20
Cost: Free and open to the public
Event sponsor: Goshen College Multicultural Affairs Office, the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning and the Latino Student Club

John Sevigny

GOSHEN, Ind. – John Sevigny is a photography teacher and active photographic artist. Originally born and raised in Miami, Fla., Sevigny has lived in Mexico for 10 years. He studied at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, worked as an Associated Press journalist and has shown his personal photographs across the United States and Mexico.

Sevigny will speak at Goshen College on Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building Room 20 on "Nomads and Passengers: Central American Immigration Across Mexico." The lecture is free and open to the public.

For several years, Sevigny has worked as a volunteer for the Catholic Diocese of Saltillo, in Northern Mexico. One of his main areas of interest has been the Belen Posada del Migrante, a shelter for Central American immigrants crossing Mexico to get to the United States. From 2007 to 2009, Sevigny participated in two documentary photographic projects on the difficulties Central American immigrants face while crossing Mexico. He will discuss immigration issues in general, human trafficking, extortion of Central Americans by Mexican law enforcement agencies and organized crime rings with the goal of shedding light on a little known aspect of the immigration phenomenon.

Sevigny is currently serving as an Artist-in-Residence at Benedictine University. His work focuses on social justice issues – immigration, poverty, alcoholism among others – and the subsequent impact they have on populations throughout the United States, Mexico and parts of Central America.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.